The Las Vegas Raiders announced on Jan. 5 that they are parting ways with head coach Pete Carroll after one season. Following a 3-14 record, there wasn’t enough to convince the front office to keep the veteran coach.
As a result, the Raiders will be in search of a head coach who can put together a coaching staff that will allow Indiana Hoosiers QB Fernando Mendoza, who will likely be the No. 1 pick in the 2026 NFL Draft.
Nonetheless, whether it’s Mendoza or another QB, the Silver and Black need to improve their entire team. With that in mind, ex-Raiders quarterback Rich Gannon had a blunt take for his former team.
“I think, when you start this whole process, when you’re looking for a head coach, there’s a lot that goes into it,” Rich Gannon said on Jan. 5 during an appearance on SiriusXM NFL Radio. “First is experience. Does he have experience? Has he been a head coach at any level? Is he a prominent coordinator who is ready for this next opportunity?
“What is his leadership skills like? What is his organizational and management ability like? Does he have a plan? Is he able to help with the selection of players in terms of the draft and free agency? Can he put together a coaching staff? I just think there’s a lot that goes into that process of interviewing.”
Raiders Cannot Miss on Next HC Hire
Moreover, Gannon believes that with the likelihood of a franchise quarterback coming into the fold in Fernando Mendoza, the Raiders cannot afford to get this coaching hire wrong.
“I just think there’s a lot that goes into that process of interviewing,” Gannon added. “Tom doesn’t have a lot of experience doing it. There are people who sit in those chairs, and they conduct a lot of interviews. They’ve been doing it for a long time.
“John Spytek is going to have to be very involved in the process, along with Tom Brady, apparently. It sounds like Mark Davis doesn’t really want to be involved in that process. He wants to let these two guys make that decision, which is fine, but they’ve got to get it right.”
Pete Carroll Was Showing His Age During Raiders Stint
Moreover, ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith believes Carroll didn’t help himself and that the former Raiders coach showed his age this season.
“It absolutely was the right decision,” Smith said on the Jan. 5 edition of “First Take.” “I don’t give a damn about it. No disrespect to the GM, but I don’t give a damn. I want Tom Brady to make that call, because we all know it’s going to be a quarterback getting the No. 1 overall pick.
“There’s one man that should make this call, and that’s a seven-time champion, and it’s Tom Brady. Pete Carroll, God bless him. Father Time is undefeated. We say it about players all the time. Sometimes we have to say it about coaches. He looked old. He just looked a bit outdated. It comes a point in time when you’re looking at certain people.”
Rich Gannon Gives Strong Take After Raiders Fire Pete Carroll